20100624

"59 all. Final set."

59-59? If you are asked which sport this score belongs to, it is quite natural for you to think that the answer is basketball. Only this answer is wrong.

The amazing tennis match at Wimbledon between American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, which was suspended ysterday because of bad light, smashed many tennis records.The epic clash, which is still to be concluded today, is the longest match in tennis history, outlasting the previous one at the French Open in 2004 between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement by almost three and a half hours. So far, with the match tied at 4-6 6-3 7-6 6-7 59-59, 163 games have been played and that is 51 games more than the previous longest Wimbledon match between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell in 1969. That match lasted five hours 12 minutes with Gonzales winning 22-24 1-6 16-14 6-3 11-9. As the score shows, that was before tie-breaks were introduced. Isner, with 98 aces, and Mahut, with 95, have also smashed the previous record for the most aces in a match set by Ivo Karlovic with 78 aces last year.

The tennis world will no doubt hold its breath to find out how the match will conclude today (or, on second thought, maybe not?), But whether it will be a quick finish of just two more games or it will last another day, the two heroes should be commended for their superhuman tenacity, willpower and fitness. As Isner himself said: "Nothing like this will ever happen again. Andy Murray agreed. "This will never ever be matched again," he said.